BRPG v1.3's major focus is to redesign the Turn Sequencer (TS) panel to be table-based. It will also track GM-defined attributes, allowing the TS to fulfill a secondary function of Combat Manager.

The pics below show a mockup of how I expect the new TS to look and function. The TS panel is resizable and remembers its placement between game sessions. It can also be opened independently of other panels.

Note that the units are automatically sorted by Initiative, with the unit whose turn it is to act is always listed at the top. Ties in Initiative score are resolved by the Speed score. Further ties are resolved randomly. Reverse-sorting is also supported, in case your game system works with lower numbers acting first.

The GM decides what attributes (columns) get listed in the TS, simply by editing a plain text file. For example, for a GURPS game, I would not list Initiative and Speed, but instead would have Move (the primary sequencing stat) and Basic Speed (used to resolve sequencing ties). Or I may decide that I don't want to show the Token and/or the Health Status columns, or to show a unit's current portrait art instead (as a mini-thumbnail). Such changes will be easily configured, and some columns could even be marked as visible to the GM or unit-owner only.

Each row in the table is color-coded, depending on a unit's disposition to the PCs. Green for Friendly, Red for Hostile, and Grey for Neutral.

The second screenshot shows how the GM can edit a unit's values by clicking on a unit's row, which makes all the fields editable. He can Tab between cells, or Shift-Tab to cycle through cells in reverse order.

The new TS also allows Objects to be listed, not just Figures.

I think these changes will make a GM's job a heck of a lot easier, and will reduce the need for interactive character sheets (at least they will provide a temporary solution for stat tracking until actual interactive character sheets are added).

This looks real good, I will absolutely try to use this. Will it support system where some (but not all) characters might have two or more actions per turn? And really strange systems which use cards for initiative (like Savage Worlds, one card per player, or Deadlands, one or more cards per player)?

It isn't shown in the pics above, but it will support game systems that use Phases or Segments to subdivide a turn (e.g. Champions, Rolemaster, Car Wars), and probably game systems that use a continual timeline (e.g., "it's turn 3, you draw your sword, which takes two actions, so you get to go again in turn 5").

Not sure about card-based systems. Perhaps a numerical value could be used for each card drawn to determine initiative?

Please help spread the word about BRPG and BGE, and never hesitate to tell me how I can make them better suit your gaming needs.

What I think he's asking is what I was trying to say when we talked earlier -- that several systems need the capacity for *multiple turns per round*, not just multiple actions per turn.

If Jack the Quick has 3 turns per round, Bob the Mighty has 1, and the Evil Orc has 2 then the turn order might be:
Jack
Orc
Jack
Bob
Jack
Orc

Also, some systems require, for example, half the round to swing a Greatsword while only 1/10 of the round to stab with a Dagger, so that someone stabbing could attack several times while their opponent swings. (Meaning that their turns are chronologically synchronized).

Does the new turn sequencer support that feature already?

I think that's what you meant by this:

heruca: If you mean systems that use an ever-increasing time count, that should already be supported.

I believe this is supported. In the example you wrote up, you could say that there are 10 phases in a turn, and that the guy with the dagger gets to act in all 10 phases, while the guy with the greatsword only acts on phases 5 and 10.

Each combatant gets a row entry on the table for each phase they get to act in. So it would be laid out something like this:

I was wondering if you'd consider putting in some simple TS Macros or Turn Events? Having the notes section is nice, but being able to have the TS track Turn Events intelligently would be even better.

For example, being able to set the exact turn when an "Event" ends or begins would be great. Having Blood Loss accumulate or automatically subtract from hitpoints. Having status rounds count down (i.e. have the rounds a character is stunned automatically count down/up.) Being able to trigger status messages sent to specific players or message/reminders to the GM ("Round 6 Event: 6 More Orcs arrive") Etc...

Another advanced feature would be ability tracking. Allow players to set a list of abilities that each character has, and to pick from the list when it's their turn.
It could log which abilities were used, and could even automatically apply the results to the target's stats based on dice macros or fixed amounts if it were automated.

heruca wrote:In the example you wrote up, you could say that there are 10 phases in a turn, and that the guy with the dagger gets to act in all 10 phases, while the guy with the greatsword only acts on phases 5 and 10.

Each combatant gets a row entry on the table for each phase they get to act in.

I was thinking about this, and I realized that, while it does support phases, there probably isn't any way to automatically determine who acts in what phase. That's definitely a necessary feature for many systems, since it would be extremely tedious to manually distribute each character to their appropriate phases.

You'll probably be able to specify the exact size of the artwork, or turn it off altogether, in the initial release.

But I suspect most users will leave the art turned on, as it makes figuring out who is who a heck of a lot easier and faster. It may also be configureable to show portrait art instead of token art (although highly shrunken portrait art isn't very appealing, IMO).

Please help spread the word about BRPG and BGE, and never hesitate to tell me how I can make them better suit your gaming needs.